Deploring that 27 percent of people refused to get their children vaccinated against polio on the first day of a special fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) drive in Karachi on 15 August 2024, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) officials vowed on 16-August-2024 that they would manage to convince parents and vaccinate over 90 percent of the children with the injectable vaccine for which the latest jet injector technology was being used. “Despite our best efforts,
Child Rights in Focus
DADU: As monsoon rains loomed over Pakistan, 14-year-old Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off in exchange for money—a decision their parents made to help the family survive the impending threat of floods. “I was happy to hear I was getting married… I thought my life would become easier,” Shamila said after her wedding to a man twice her age, hoping for a more prosperous life. “But I have nothing more. And
‘Under the Blaze’ presents a compelling tale of a child forced to trade his future for perilous conditions Rawalpindi. A child extends his skinny arms to place a warm, rust-coloured brick in a long line of freshly baked blocks laid out to dry under the blistering sun that glares upon the kiln he has been slaving away at since the morning. With six hours already gone by, there are eight more to go and
Rawalpindi. Two suspects who allegedly raped three children in Kallar Syedan area of Rawalpindi police station and his accomplice have been arrested. The accused were charged with rape while filming the indecent act and uploading the videos online. While registering the case the parents of the victim said that the accused named Sikandar had allegedly raped three children and his accomplice Owais, made a video that he caused to go viral by uploading them
The bright future of any society is always associated with its upcoming generation. Children are the future prosperity of any nation as they are productive workers of tomorrow. The main objective of this study is to estimate the opportunities available for children under the age of 5 years and their mothers for different regions of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The core idea of this study is to access and compare Pakistan with Bangladesh as it
Heavy monsoon rains have left many campuses underwater, turning them into ponds RAWALPINDI: After a two-and-a-half-month summer vacation, all public and private educational institutions in Rawalpindi will reopen on 15 August. However, heavy monsoon rains over the past week have turned many schools, colleges, and universities across the city into virtual ponds. The prolonged rainfall has led to moss growth while standing water has accumulated in school grounds. Additionally, wild herbs and grass have
PESHAWAR: Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah on 14 August 2024 inaugurated the country’s first 24/7 Vaccination Centres at Maulvi Ameer Shah Memorial Hospital in Peshawar and the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Mardan. A handout said the inauguration ceremony was attended by Medical Superintendent Dr Akram Shah, District Health Officer Dr Idrees, UNICEF representatives, and other relevant officials in Peshawar. In Mardan, the minister, accompanied by local MPAs and DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent
RAWALPINDI: The All-Pakistan Private Schools Management Association has raised serious concerns about the country’s state of education, calling for the removal of taxes on private schools. They emphasised that 60 percent of children who are receiving an education are enrolled in private schools. The association urged all political parties to collaborate and develop a 20-year national education policy, rather than treating the education sector as an experimental laboratory. These concerns were voiced by various
LAHORE: Chief Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Uzma Kardar has said that Pakistan and Afghanistan’s future as polio-free countries are interlinked, reiterating that until the situation improves in Afghanistan, Pakistan cannot eradicate the virus. She expressed these views during her visit to the Emergency Operation Centre of Punjab where she was briefed by EOC Coordinator Khizer Afzaal. Polio eradication partners also participated in the meeting. Mr Afzaal said more than 200,000 polio workers participate
SWAT: The Mingora police on August 13 booked a teacher and later arrested him after a resident complained that his nine-year-old son was beaten up by the accused in the school, leaving him injured. Asad, a resident of Mingora, reported that his son, who is in grade four, was severely punished by his teacher, resulting in injuries. The police confirmed that the child was brutally beaten, leading to multiple scars on his body. The
Almost half of the children in Pakistan experience stunted growth, while nearly a third are underweight and suffer from wasting. The long-term consequences of these issues for the future of the country are significant. In Sindh, infant and young child feeding practices are inadequate, with approximately 98 percent of children under two in the province not receiving proper nourishment. The figure starkly highlights the dire condition of our health infrastructure. Undernutrition in Pakistan remains
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services on Tuesday highlighted on the urgent issues of vaccine distribution and the troubling resurgence of polio cases in the country. The committee at a meeting, chaired by Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, assessed the working and performance of the Federal Directorate of Immunisation (FDI). It focused on critical issues concerning vaccine utilisation, funding distribution, and the recent surge in polio cases. The meeting was attended